I get tempted to give a healthy eye roll when I hear someone, who is more mature in their walk with Christ, say that I should just embrace the journey God has me on and not focus on the destination. It sounds good and it may even be the right thing to do, however, that’s often easier said than done. I didn’t want to be that person! Therefore, I wanted to revisit my blog about embracing the journey and offer help on how to do that..
If you’re anything like me, you’ve received a job promotion and immediately started planning for how you’ll get the next role. Maybe you’ve bought the house and have already started researching how to turn it into a rental property before you’ve even moved in. For some of you, you’ve met the right person but your mind is already thinking of the honeymoon, the kids, and if they prefer to sleep on the right or left side of the bed. (Oh, so you’re going to act like I’m the only one?). We get ahead of ourselves and get ahead of God, forfeiting the beauty in the journey.
It’s only right that if I tell you the importance of embracing the journey, I also share practical tips on how you can do that:
- Keep it real with yourself – get your emotional IQ score up. Take time to examine yourself so you know who you are and how you prefer to operate. For example, being a planner is not a bad thing, but that means you like to control the situation to avoid unpleasant surprises. Or perhaps you work really well in ambiguity because you crave unpredictability. That’s understandable. What coping mechanisms do you rely on? When stressed out, do you turn to food, substances, or other people? Knowing how you are and how you react allows you to acknowledge where you may be challenged in the process of embracing a journey.
- Learn the character of God – if you’re going to relinquish control, you need to know who you are relinquishing control to. Knowing the character of God makes it easier to let down your guard and trust Him to lead you to wherever you need to be. Think of it the same way you would home renovations. You would do your due diligence to find reputable contractors to do the work before trusting them to do it. Jesus wants you to get to know Him so you can recognize His voice, trust what He says, and then obey His direction. He understands that without trust, you may be hesitant to let your guard down and see what the journey has to offer. Therefore, read your Bible and learn all about God’s beautiful character so you can let him renovate your heart.
- Release expectations – as you read the Bible, one thing you’ll learn is God is faithful and He is unpredictable. He rarely does things the same way. Jesus healed the sick by laying on hands, spitting in mud, or simply recognizing acts of faith. If you expect your journey to go one way, do yourself a favor and let that idea go. Exceedingly and abundantly doesn’t happen by following a formula. God deals with us individually so, you’ll be better off if you let go of the route you thought He would take. Let that trust kick in and be okay being in the passenger’s seat.
- Seek wise counsel – while you may not have been down this road before, there is a great chance someone else has. God places people in your life that will help you transition to this new state of mind. Call them up, ask them for advice, or request prayer. They may be able to help you dodge the pothole that is waiting at the next turn in your journey. They may also already be at the destination your seeking, and God has placed them in your life to help steer you in the right direction.
These tips will simply help you get started. I know it seems like I’m asking you to go outside of your normal behaviors but you can’t keep doing the same thing and expecting to get different results. Plus, who knows what 2021 holds? Trying to dictate every step on your path will only cause frustration and disappointment.
No journey is perfect but each one is necessary. God has plans for you- plans to prosper you, not to harm you. He wants to see you get to where you need to be. He just may have you swim, drive, hike or walk but either way . . . you’ll get there and hopefully learn a few things along the way.
Father, thank you for this journey of life. We can’t do this without you. I ask for your protection, grace and wisdom as we approach each hill or valley. Help us to have the right perspective as we sojourn in unknown territory. Direct our path and make it plain so we can be in your will for our lives. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
